The curse of Will Herondale
by angelcarstairs4679
Summary: This is the story of how Will was "cursed" and his journey to the London Institute. One-shot!


**Hi guys! So this is about how Will got "cursed" and how he journeyed to the London Institute. One-shot! I don't own the Infernal Devices characters, though. Cassandra Clare does. I love Will Herondale!**

Part 1

Cautiously, twelve year old Will Herondale opened the door to his father's study, peering his head through the small opening. When he saw that it was deserted, he grinned and opened it, entering the room. He had always loved his father's study, row upon row of books lined up neatly in the bookshelf, a mahogany study desk and Will's favorite thing in the study, his father's collection of weapons and items from his Shadowhunting days. His father had been a Shadowhunter once, Marked by the Angel but when he had married his mother, he was forced to become a mundane, a normal human.

Will often asked his father why he did not just go find another woman. "My son, when you find your true love, you would understand and you would anything to get her," he said as Will sat on his knee. Even though his father was now a mundane, Will and his sisters, Ella and Cecily had the chance to become Shadowhunters as Shadowhunter blood was dominant. But every six years when the Clave came, they turned them down in order not to upset their parents, especially their mother, who called it a cursed life full of hate and death. Now Will ran his hand over his father's weapons display, the metal cool under his touch.

As he started to name the weapons one by one under his breath, he saw a small box with weird symbols on it. Will felt drawn to it and he picked it up, examining it. He thought he heard a small voice coming from it. He remembered what his father said about not to simply open things in his study but Will's hand went to the lock and pried it open. The box shook and shuddered and Will cried out, dropping it to the ground. He screamed as a wisp of smoke came from the box and reformed itself into a demon. The creature looked at him and smiled. "Ah, Edmund Herondale. We meet again at last," it grinned.

The doors to the study slammed open and Ella Herondale stood at the threshold, a seraph blade in hand. From where she had got it from, Will didn't know. She held it out in front of her, her grip sure and steady. "Begone creature. I banish you back to where you came from!" she shouted but the demon merely smiled. "Stupid girl," he said and without warning, he struck with his tail. It caught Ella by surprise and knocked her across the room, slamming her into the wall. She tried to scramble up, trying to protect her younger brother.

"For what you did to me, imprisoning me in this box for so many years, I shall make you pay dearly. From this moment on, whoever loves you or care for you will die. And it shall begin with her," the demon snarled and it disappeared. Ella quickly got up, running to Will and holding him in her arms. "Gwilym, hush. Its all right. Its gone now," she whispered as Will shook. "I didn't mean it. I felt like it was a magnet drawing me to it," Will sobbed and she held him tighter. "Don't worry, cariad. I won't tell Mam and Dad," she said, stroking his unruly hair and he felt his heart calm down. "In the meantime, best you get to bed," Ella said and she brought him to his room, tucking him to bed and reading to him. "Goodnight, cariad," she said and she closed the door behind her. Little did Will know the horrors that followed the incident.

Part 2

Will awoke the next morning to the sound of loud howls and cries. He recognized them immediately as his mother's voice and he quickly changed into his proper clothes and rushed to the source of the voice. He reached Ella's door and he threw the door open to see a horrifying sight. In her bed, Ella lay dead, her face bloated and green until it was barely recognizable. His mother was holding her daughter's hand, sobbing as her husband looked at his dead daughter with grief. "What happened to her? She was alright yesterday! How could this happen?" Linette Herondale sobbed as Edmund tried to calm her down. Will could only watch in horror as his parents cried over their dead daughter.

" _For what you did to me, imprisoning me in this box for so many years, I shall make you pay dearly. From this moment on, whoever loves you or care for you will die. And it shall begin with her,"_ the demon's voice echoed in Will's head. He braced himself with the door frame and he looked on at his parents. His heart swelled with grief as he realized that it was all his fault. In his mind, a plan had already started to come into focus. Quietly, he went back to his room and grabbed some supplies, stuffing mundane money into a bag. He ran downstairs and grabbed some food from the pantry and he dashed outside into the stables.

He went to one of the stalls and opened the door, coaxing quickly to the horse. "Good boy, Hengroen. That's a good boy," Will said and he stroked the horse's neck. He quickly got to work to saddling up Hengroen and he threw himself up. "Forgive me. I'm so sorry," he whispered as he dug in his heels and galloped off into the light.

Part 3

"Don't play with me, boy. You either pay your toll fare or you go back to where you came from," the man growled as Will emptied his pockets. "I swear sir, I will find some way to pay you back. If you will just let me pass," Will begged. He hated begging people and he felt like he wanted to drive a blade into the man. The man glared at him and then at his horse. "That's a fine stead you got here," he said as he looked at Hengroen up and down. Will felt his heart sink as the man examined his horse. "Tell you what. I'll buy this animal from you and I will let you go," he said. Will was torn between his love for the animal and his desperation to reach the London Institute, home to the London Shadowhunters

"Well, you better pay up one way or another," the man said and Will finally submitted to defeat. He went up to Hengroen and patted his nose, placing his head on the horse's head. "Thank you for everything you've done, boy," he whispered and Hengroen neighed slightly. The man took Hengroen by its reins and walked off with him. Will sighed and looked ahead of him. The city wasn't far away but by walking it would take him all day. He had been riding on Hengroen for about three days until he reached this area where he had to pay the toll fee. The young boy gathered up his strength and began the journey to London on foot.

Part 4

People stared at the young boy who walked down the street, moving aside as though he was a parasite. Will fell to his knees for a while, panting and in pain. He looked at his palms and they were cut and bloody all over. His feet were aching, his shoes falling apart from the 20 mile walk from where he had given Hengroen up. Tears started to come to his eyes but he angrily pushed them aside and rubbed a bloody hand across his head. "I'm a Shadowhunter. And Shadowhunters do not cry in pain," he told himself. Up ahead, he saw the spiraling towers of the London Institute, the place his father had called home for years.

Will forced himself back up and walked towards the Institute, slowly and painfully up the street until he finally reached the gates. He touched them and they swung open and he hobbled into the courtyard. The pain became too great and he fell to his knees. He panted and groaned as he crawled to the door and knocked on it, its sound ringing throughout the Institute.

Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Will lay on his back, praying that it all would end. The door opened and a woman looked out. She cried out when she saw him and she dropped to her knees. "You poor child," she said just as a man came from behind her. "Charlotte, what is it? By the Angel, the poor lad," he said as he carried Will in his arms. He carried Will up the stairs, the woman following behind him. Will realized the woman was small and young, maybe only around seventeen but she had the air of authority around her. The man wore a stripped shirt and blue pants streaked with oil. Will barely had the strength to speak t as they carried him into a room and placed him on the bed.

The man pulled off Will's shoe, which fell apart upon contact. The woman, Charlotte knelt next to Will and gently washed away the blood on his hands and feet. He winced with pain as she cleaned his wounds and finally, she brought out a long pencil object that his father had mentioned and kept in his study. A stele. "Charlotte. You don't know whether he is a Shadowhunter or a mundane," the man said. "Don't worry, Henry. The doors wouldn't have open if he wasn't a Shadowhunter child," Charlotte said and she looked at Will. "What's your name, child?" she asked, her voice soft and kind.

"William. William Herondale," Will said and Charlotte let out a gasp. "You're Edmund Herondale's son?" she gasped as she looked at Will up and down. He didn't look like his father but he had taken more of his looks from his mother. "You better iratze him up and let him rest," Henry said and she brought the stele down, black lines swirling from its tip. Will felt it both pain and comforting at the same time. After each rune was done, his skin slowly knitted back together and soon his hands and feet were fine.

"You should get some rest. I'll ring up Sophie to bring some food for you. In the meantime, may I ask why did you come here in this state?" Charlotte asked as Will sat himself up. He looked at her with clear blue eyes and answered, "I've come to be a Shadowhunter." "In that case, we shall sent for the Silent Brothers to come and carry out the first marking ceremony as soon as possible. Do your parents know of your decision?" Charlotte asked and at that Will stayed silent. After a moment of awkwardness, Charlotte didn't press on and she left the room. As he lay on the bed, he couldn't help but cry out in pain and grief. Finally, sleep overwhelmed him and he lay there, lost in his mind.

Part 5

Will wandered around the Institute, exploring its halls. He looked at his hand and couldn't help but find the new Voyance rune on the back of his right hand strange. He had been Marked the previous day and the Silent Brothers had proceeded with laying protection spells on him along with an Iron Sister. As he walked, he heard the sounds of pounding coming from the main hall. He sat by the stairs and watched as a maid hurried to the door and was greeted by his parents. "Please. Let me see my son," Linette begged just as Charlotte came rushing down. "What's going on? Edmund!" she cried out as she saw Edmund, who looked at her coldly.

"What have you done with my son?" he asked and she frowned. "He came willingly on his own, wishing to be a Shadowhunter. He belongs here now," she said and Linette burst into tears. "Please, let me see my son. He just ran away from home without any explanation," she begged and Charlotte sighed. "Wait here," she said and as she turned, Will dashed up the stairs, fleeing to his room. He ran inside and slammed the door, crawling under his bed. He lay there, his hands over his ears as he heard his parents crying out and screaming his name.

"William?" Charlotte called and she entered his room. She looked around before peering under the bed. "Your parents are here to see you," she said gently but Will shook his head furiously. "Tell them to leave me alone," he said and Charlotte looked like she had been slapped. "William, they want to bring you home," she said but he shook his head violently, his hands still clamped over his ears. "Please. Tell them to go," he begged and Charlotte started to get up when he grabbed her arm.

"Will you promise me something, Charlotte?" he asked and she nodded. "If anyone of my family members die, please inform me," it was all he said and Charlotte looked at him in bewilderment, surprised to hear such a request from a young boy. When she saw the fury and pain in his eyes, she left and went to talk to his parents. He heard more shouts until finally the doors closed and everything was silent. Will crawled out from under his bed and onto the bed, he lay there, curled in a ball, crying. "To love is to destroy. And to be loved is the one to be destroyed," he whispered to himself as he cried himself to sleep.


End file.
